~ Hardcore Real Estate News

Copper Canyon

Has it really been 5 years already? The Copper Canyon development by Suncal in East Sparks was the first major developer default I ever came across. That led me into my dubious career as a data digger, and the rest is history.

Copper Canyon was an extremely ambitious project, covering over 1500 acres east of Vista and adjacent to D’Andrea. Plans called for 2109 residential units, a town center retail complex, and a large amount of office and R&D space. HERE is the site plan. The Copper Canyon 1 video is fun to watch, too, though there is realtor music in the background.

Suncal missed the July 2007 payment on their $40M loan, and the property went back to the lender in June 2008. On 15 February 2013, the property was sold to Copper Canyon Partners LLC for $5.5M. This LLC has the same address and same directors as Mid Valley Engineering out of Stockton, the original land planner on the project. Mid Valley had been in litigation with Suncal and the subsequent TD owner, but released their Lis Pendens the day before the deal closed.

Is Copper Canyon coming back? There is no infrastructure in place, so development would be costly. In fact, Sparks dodged a major bullet when Suncal tanked the project before site work could scar the hillside. But it is a viable site on major transportation lines and in near proximity to Reno Tahoe Industrial Center (TRIC) and Reno Technology Center (Apple server farm).

my favorite part of the development plan is how they colored the open space between the developments green- because that’s definitely the color of those hills.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could develop a plan to mitigate wildland fire danger BEFORE we keep building up the ridges and leaving strips of shrub and cheatgrass reaching downward into town? I can’t wait until the hills above Caughlin Ranch are developed. Those only burn about every 5 years.

While it’s true the Woodchuck / Hunter Creek area is being developed, I was referring to the comment about the hills behind Caughlin Ranch “proper” – from Eagle’s Nest to Caughlin Ranch Elementary, as shown in this map provided by the Caughlin Ranch Home Owner’s Association – http://www.caughlinranchhomeowners.com/pdf/trailmap.png

FYI, the featured photo on your trail map of a lovely bridged pond is of a property that is outside Caughlin Ranch.

You said “proper,” I didn’t. I wonder how the folks in the Eastridge and Castle Ridge 1-7 divisions feel knowing they pay HOA dues, but aren’t “properly” part of Caughlin ranch? I was using Caughlin Ranch to refer to the western edge of central Reno, of which it currently comprises the majority, but which still contains a lot of private land open for development further west in the hills.

The Caughlin Ranch HOA owns 435 acres above the presently developed “Eagle’s Nest” (Juniper Trails 7A, 7B, 7G and part of 7D.) This land is included in the Juniper Trails 6, 7A, 7B and 7D subdivisions, so presumably is preserved as open space as part of the plan for those divisions. You are correct that this backs to national forest land.

But, also on the hills above Caughlin Ranch are all the already parceled lots for Hunter Creek, plus 300 acres they own that has yet to be parceled and have roads built, 770 acres owned by various private entities above Pinehaven road, and over a thousand acres owned by Evans Creek, LLC, many of which burned in last year’s Caughlin fire.

I stand by my original statement, which is that we need to have a better plan for managing the fire risk of the existing canyons in town before we extend development even further into wildlands.

I stand completely & utterly corrected. I’ve been out of the loop on how extensive the development plans are above Caughlin Ranch and the Hunter Creek / Evans Creek area. Thanks for setting me straight, I appreciate it.